Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/7A/1 - May 1915 - Part 7

91

1915

to connect up.
Then withdrew to next line
gave [[shorthand]] & came in to [[shorthand]]
¼ hour later Turks (had been heard next morning)

came up the ridge and gave it a hell
of a hammering.   What great stay
NZ pots
to N
Tues 18. May 1915
P of W leaving us.
Aeroplane was over us
Tuesday yesty - first
here for nearly fortnight. Balloon
up also - gen [[shorthand]]
New little balloon.
Last night on our _^ tel line between KB.
& another station the wire
was tapped and a message 
came in buzzed out
in very
 

92
1915
60
slow fashion & badly spelt
"We will put you into the sea you Australia
bastads guns we will have
We will give you mines you
Australia Bastads." ‘
The beach was shelled in the morning.  But all day was
very quiet.  Everyone was asking what it meant.
I saw Colonel White in his dugout.  Yes he said I wonder what they're doing.
That morning about 7a.m. a fragment
whurred over my dugout and
struck the roof of Blamey's about 200 yards on.
It was a great flake of a 10" shell
or 9.2.  In the late afternoon after xx
I had had my swim they began shelling
us again using big guns this time.

93
1915
You could see mountains of earth lifted down
to beyond the guns at the top of
Maclagan ridge.
They also shelled the trenches with
9.2 all day.
Col. Owen of the 1st Brigade sd he
sent down to say he could see the Enemy
getting 3 guns into position about 400 yards in
front of his lines with German officers and
the colonels.  Cd the guns on
mountain guns be turned on to them.  Our
artillery officers said their guns cdnt be
got on them used (I saw Bessell
Browne bathing and he sd they had
him bluffed - 4.2.,
10.in, 18 pdrs
all on to him.
Wonder why Owen doesnt get a machine gun
onto them. He says the situation is "very grave" in view of reports xxas to Turks landing
 

94
1915
60 
Same day G.H.Q. sent in to
say that the aeroplane had seen the division landing
in 228 m. i.e. just beside us.
The Triumph also saw Turks
pushing up from Krithia
& there are reported movements of troops from the
north.
So we shall probably be attacked.
We have 2 new Howitzers
in position.  1 of them only
5 4 shots today but made 2 hits on
guns. The people at Cape
Helles have ordered no ammunitn
to be maintained for these guns - but
we're going to stick to the
130 rounds we have.
The marines are landing to  

95
1915
show us how to work these guns
1 officer _^ NCO 10 men.
We have no aeroplane.
They have them all at Sittil
Bahr. We get the big balloon
occasionally & for the first time in 10 days
we got the aeroplane yesterday evening.
They promised to send
us some.  Our Escort
has been reduced by taking away the
Queen, & now the P. of W.
We still have Triumph,
Bacchante, & I think
London Canopus.  Majestic
has gone & QE hasnt bn
here for a long
time.  The gold lace at the
point took our best remaining brigade
 

96
1915
60
& threw it in at 25 minutes notice by one
of the worst bits of staff work I have
ever imagined. The 29^th Division
& the Ghurkas may be fit
to push with down there but there is no
decent brigade & not one at all
to compare with any of ours,
unless the 29^th can show one -
wh I doubt.
The searchlight to the N
is only working in 10 minute
spurts all night.  The brigadiers have been warned
to expect an attack and keep their eyes open.
Auberon Herbert - Brothers
the British are your friends (Bullet
Bullet). They love the mussalman
(bomb) They will feed you & give
you cigarettes (shrapnel) etc. 

97
1915
101.35 moon down.
11.45. Bomb. Turkish
Rifle fire suddenly greatly increased
11.46 another bomb.
maxim. Can hear bullets
swishing past my dug out.
11.47. another bomb.
Maxim going hard.
11.48. Another bomb.
More maxim.
11.50 another bomb.
B.B. maxim.
B. maxim. B.
Heavy firing all this time
Destroyer wh ws to has had lights at
5 minutes intervals has it on now.
Destroyer's light off.
Went along to Sig. office. Gen.
Walker there in night
cap. He asked if our brigades were
in touch with all their
battalions - Answer was for
3^rd Bde yes - 1st Bde. yes.
 

98
1915
60
Fire much slacker at 12.10.
Cd hear several bombs still.
(4 within 12 seconds)
A maxim in the centre has been
sweeping
right &
left. & back again.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
cd closely be heard overhead
Bombs like
big drum
Found Gen up at signal office.
He Are the brigades in touch with all their battalions.
1st answer
Yes Sir 3 Brigade.
Is 1st Brigade in touch
Answer later yes Sir.
Ask if anything to report
3rd Bde.
Nothing to report
1st 3rd Bns.
Only heavy firing by Turks.
Cant get 2nd Bn.
Wait on.  Blamey, 

99
1915
Glasfurd (not worth
disrupting White for) takes telephones occasionally.
In 2 little dugouts are two
men w horn lanterns &
receivers over ears - each v snug
with bags between rather like dolls
House.  (Open front)
1 in other Maj in a signal company.
Operator.  Capt Watson.
regretting messages Horn lantern with [[shorthand]]
[[shorthand]] to prevent being too bright
Table made of
Boiled Beef
12 tins in case.
Kerosine tin.
Light on faces.
Watsons face dark in front of light

100
1915
60
At last rang up operator
Only Turks firing →
Any artillery:  Report of [[shorthand]] no artillery
Hobbs orderly officer comes up with the
same report.
→Why can't get 2nd Bn.
Just got them  O.K.
Any report to Anzac Sir?
No.
18 may:  No 2 Sqadr.
imd. temporarily Thursday
had to leave us.
Next morning
May 19.
425 Bomb. began.
and [[?]]
At 3.20 attacked our whole
line opp. 4^th IB.  Very strong 4
charges

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1915
Went to Owen.
Went to James post. & 1st Bn.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
3.20-5.20
Then went to 4^th
3rd are stopping to meet the 2nd
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
Attacked 4 times there
1 [[shorthand]] loopholes Blocked.
Sniper & observer.

102
1915
60
1^st 4.  3.  2.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

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1915
18^th May:  N.Z.
4.30 shelling
8 8 inch shells in Monash.
Afternoon enemy begin shelling
head of Monash gully
8 inch breaking up parapet
of Courtneys Post
Wrecked dressing station
45 shells 15 casualties.  (4 killed)
10 p.m. warned guns and troops [[shorthand]]
NE of Krithia.
Staff seen making [[shorthand]].
All warned to be on alert.
Everyone to stand to arms arms at
3 a.m.
12 Midnight machine gun and [[shorthand]]
fire against Courtneys Post the
Hottest [[shorthand]].
[*Col. Chaytor wounded 5 am.*]
Daylight heavy attack against 1st Aust Bn

104
1915
60
4.30am  2000 Turks reported
in road about Kuel. Anafarta.
Navy said they put shells amongst them.
5.30 am.  Taube over Bivouac
No aeroplane of ours
Big guns [[shorthand]] shelled shipping
6.30  500 Turks in front of No 4 [[shorthand]]
8 & 10 am.  Hot attack at 10am
agst Quinns left.
All guns brought fire to bear including headquarters
Col. Chaytor wounded at daybreak on
Plugges.
[*I heard bruised.*]
10.45 Quinns post
2 extra machine guns sent up to
Chauvel at 9.30
Second burst at 11am.
All guns and maxims were turned on ground to left of
Quinns post
11 a.m. rifle fire continues

105
1915-16
11.15 more numbers of Turks when [[shorthand]] companies
retreat from trenches beside Quinns post
12 midday swarms of Turks
in gully.
Dive under water to get out of way
of shrap.
May 20.  Thurs.
Spent night in trenches.
Turks kicked up  great smoke
in early morning.  Lights moving
under dark mountain top.
Sd to be shouting at night.
Constant fire all night.
[*Lt. Simpson
& Osborne
of 4^th*]
We threw a few bombs.
Abt 4.30 our guns
began to fire.
I came down at 5
Ap 26.  Gen. waved his hand to two platoons to advance
They advanced & xxx somehow
got and the whole line will advance.  They

106
1915-16
60
got over to far plateau ridge with emplacements - into Turks
that beckoned & then opened up machine gun
& battery fire.  Held on 5 minutes then
galloped back.
May. 20.  German aeroplane over
abt 10.  None of ours to
answer her.  Sailed round few
abt out  Dropped bomb at
Euryalus, missed by 100 yds
or more.  Our balloon ship came
in but ws shelled out abt 12 . .
N.Z. Inf brigade came back
It's a silly policy not giving us an
aeroplane - bec. the value of this
place for feint purposes is
absolutely neutralised.
Very quiet up to 12.30  One or
two big wuzzies only.
Scandalous hospital treatment in Alex.
Wounded arrived at Heliopolis not treated since dressed on the
beach.  2nd [[shorthand]] moved from Lemnos.  Now 

107
1915
Thinking, after month, of getting leave to place
hospital on Imbros.  Prisoners there all the time.
Soudan all this time has had only 12 convalescents
[[shorthand]] staff of 10 etc.
Our wounded badgered about in Alex.
cdnt find where to go until got
some kindness from commander of a transport
who took them to Lemnos.
Gen Bridges wounded Sat 15^th May.  10 o'clock
Left in [[shorthand]] 11.20
20 May continued.  Prisoners still coming in.
Turks burying dead under white flag
for several hours in afternoon.

108
1915
60
Simpson, Donkey man
3rd a.m.c. Hit May 19
through heart
allowed to work by xxx himself
Donkey's w red cross on
forehead.
Someone else has taken on donkey.
2nd L.H.B. attached to us
gone up Monash Gully
to reinforce 1st I.B.
Bridges:  Just what I needed an Australian division for [[shorthand]] in this
Navy.  What are you [[shorthand]] that Australia for  You're not an Australian
No I am not an Australian but I am proud to
wear it. 

109
1915
11.20. Heavy firing. Our
guns have being going all 
night - esp. the battery
above us. Also warships.
Moon is behind clouds.
12.10. Very heavy attack agst
front of Quinn's Post.
Guns ordered to play on it
without intervals.
12.45 Heavy gun fire or explosion
11.10. Turks reported by NZ to
be just leaving their trenches when artillery
opened fire and they at once got
back - Doesnt look much like
a grand attack.
There is no attack at
all at Popes or Quinns
but observer will ask for fire if he [[shorthand]] it. 

110
1915
60
May 21. German colonels w Turks
nearly all killed acc. to prisoners
observatn only fairly [[shorthand]].  Stop
shooting sometimes when just got on to a good
target.
Nearly got old Jessie this morning
8 or 10 shots in exactly same place.
Cd see firing at Bulair this night.
I think it was a division storm.
Interpreters went out today to see the Turks
Told them that if they wanted to bury the dead they must
cease firing.  One officer answered.  Said you must send
a Parliamentaire.  A Turkish prisoner
also went out and said brothers I am a prisoner I am well treated
they give me cigarettes etc.
(Nearly hit [[shorthand]] today) Officer answered:  What is your name
Man would not say.  What is your name
No answer.  Are you a prisoner?
Yes:  Well go away and don't talk.
Gawd fancy 2 captains to lead you along by night.